Title: Dead Girl, Driving and Other Devastations

Author: Carina Bissett

Release date: March 8th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Carina for a digital ARC of this one!*

Firstly – I owe a huge apology to Carina for the delay in posting this review. I had wrapped up reading it this past Saturday and was planning on posting the review Monday, but on Sunday, I was slammed with a massive head cold, which knocked me down for the count. I’m marginally better, which is letting me get this review up and posted!

Carina and I connected way back in 2019, in the most wonderful of ways. Carina was the first recipient of the Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant and that truly warms my heart. Her short fiction has been published pretty much everywhere and she’s been nominated for pretty much everything!

Which meant, that when she emailed me about a potential review, I was all over it! It felt full circle for me, seeing how we connected, but also knowing just how strong her fiction is, I would be in for a treat!

What I liked: This collection is pristine. Varied. Steady. Masterful. Each story has an energy that crackles and within each, Carina deftly weaves a tale that is immediately striking, but also hits at something deep within the reader. As you can gather from the title and cover art, emotions run high throughout and the breadth of themes within this one made for numerous stories requiring a pause once done, reflection, and in some cases, re-reading parts to mentally digest how bare and exposed Carina’s writing was.

If you read any of my reviews, one thing I’ll often note is that when an author gets to a certain degree of honesty shared through fiction, I’ll refer to it as brave. I think Carina might’ve set the bar here for what I’ll compare every other story – no matter the length – with, from now on.

Standout stories for me were ‘Rotten,’ ‘Water Like Broken Glass,’ ‘Gaze With Undimmed Eyes and the World Drops Dead,’ ‘The Stages of Monster Grief,’ ‘Burning Bright,’ and ‘Dead Girl, Driving.’

‘Gaze…’ particularly stood out. It was a very unique telling of a woman at a hotel in Colorado who dreams of her old life while connecting with her new one. It was fantastic.

But hands down, my favorite story was ‘Cracked.’ The themes within this one are heavy, dealing with fertility, having children, being a single mom and the expectation of birth. It is about a middle-aged woman who gives birth to a massive, ten-pound egg. Carina straddles the line between humor and seriousness, but all the while making the reader reflect on their own perceptions when applied within the context of this story.

Within each story, the worlds, the characters and the themes that Carina have created are ones that will have you hooked and desperately wishing for more, even when you’re relieved when they come to an end.

What I didn’t like: I personally loved each story, some more than others – see ‘Cracked’!! – but overall, the level of storytelling was masterful. But, as always, reader mileage may vary based on personal preferences.

Why you should buy this: Carina’s short story writing is scholarly in its execution. If you’re starting out and want a masterclass on how to tell a story that it impactful but also accessible, this is the perfect collection to snap up and devour. Otherwise, if you’re simply a fan of sumptuous fiction that bleeds from the page, Carina’s collection is simply phenomenal. A must read for all fans of dark fiction collections.

5/5